The International department : to promote research and educational collaboration in Osteopathy
international exchanges and training in osteopathy
The mission of the International Department of the Institut d'Ostéopathie de Rennes-Bretagne (IO-RB) is to promote exchanges and collaborations in the field of Research and Education in Osteopathy.
It coordinates the Erasmus+ program for short-term student and teacher exchanges between institutions, participates in national and international congresses, and supports innovative osteopathic research projects.
This cluster seeks to strengthen professional networks and advance osteopathic recognition worldwide by supporting the development of new teaching and clinical skills.
The International department oversees :
- Exchanges and short-term for students and teachers between different institutions,
- Travel for teachers and students to national and international conferences,
- Research projects conducted both within and across the Research department's divisions in order to recommend to the Institut d'Ostéopathie de Rennes' Scientific Council modifications to the curriculum in line with the latest professional and scientific data,
- Drafting scientific and professional publications
Encouraging clinical exchanges and SCIENTIFIC research in osteopathy
Under the supervision of Hakim Mhadhbi (DO, MSc) - Head of the school's Consultation Center, the IO-RB is developing an international mobility program for osteopathy students.
This enables students to acquire practical skills in other institutions through short stays, while welcoming foreign students.
Simultaneously, the Head of the IO-RB Research Unit, Mathieu Ménard (DO, PhD), promotes cooperation with researchers worldwide. This enables us to identify joint research projects, share resources and follow two paths to prove the efficacy of our osteopathic techniques, in partnership with universities located both in France and abroad:
Concrete actions of the International department
Erasmus + : Mobilities for osteopathic students and teachers
The Institut d'Ostéopathie de Rennes-Bretagne is a participant in the Erasmus+ program, which provides osteopathic teachers and students with mobility throughout Europe.
Partnership with the "Institut d'Enseignement de l'Ostéopathie du Québec"
The Institut d'Enseignement de l'Ostéopathie du Québec (IEOQ) and the Institut d'Ostéopathie de Rennes-Bretagne (IO-RB) have signed a partnership agreement in order to facilitate student mobility.
Partnership with the Public Hospital in Vietnam
A partnership was initiated in 2018 with the Danang Hospital for Women and Children in Vietnam.
The hospital's rehabilitation department welcomes graduating students and osteopathic teachers to carry out osteopathic consultations. This partnership also intends to train physicians in osteopathic medicine.
Association "Ostéopathie Solidarité International"
The OSI association has been advocating for global solidarity in osteopathic care since 2021.
The Institut d'Ostéopathie de Rennes-Bretagne is a partner member of the Osteopathic International Alliance
OIA (Osteopathic International Alliance) is an international organization that brings together osteopathic professional and academic structures in countries where osteopathy is represented. The OIA represents 74 organizations from 21 countries on five continents. It advocates high-quality osteopathic health care. Its goal is to promote regulatory and educational frameworks that guarantee the provision of safe, high-quality healthcare by osteopathic physicians and osteopaths. Specifically, the OIA and WHO are working together on standards for training osteopathic physicians. The Institut d'Ostéopathie de Rennes-Bretagne is part of this worldwide community and has a role to play, as a school, in informing the public. For this reason, the IO-RB participates in World Osteopathic Healthcare Week each year in an effort to discover osteopathic treatments.
The International department : A team involved in research and education in osteopathy
Marylène Bourgin, CEO, DO
Marylène Bourgin is an osteopath, General Director and founder of the Institute of Osteopathy of Rennes-Bretagne. Since the school was founded in 2010, she has been working to develop research for a better recognition of osteopathy in the medical and scientific environment.
Mathieu Ménard, PhD, DO
Mathieu Ménard holds the position of osteopath; Associate Professor and Head of Research at the Institute of Osteopathy Rennes Bretagne in France. He also works as an Associate Researcher at the Movement, Sport and Health Sciences Laboratory - M2S lab in France. His current areas of interest in research are novel approaches in osteopathic education, musculoskeletal modeling and simulation of sports movements, and applied biomechanics in osteopathic medicine.
Hakim Mhadhbi, MSc, DO
Hakim Mhadhbi is an osteopath and Associate Professor and Head of Clinical Practice at the Institut d’Ostéopathie de Rennes Bretagne in France. He completed a master’s degree in Biomechanics at the University of Reims, France. His current research interests include applied anatomy and biomechanics within osteopathic practice and teaching clinical reasoning through gamification and simulation.
Julie Lardière
Julie Lardière is head of communication at IO-RB. In addition to valuing research and educational initiatives to increase their public accessibility, her mission is to promote international partnerships. She also plays a crucial role in organizing activities that support IO-RB's osteopathic research and instruction.
